Twenty-five faculty affiliated with the Visual Sciences Research Center (VSRC) at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) seek renewed support for the Visual Sciences Training Program (VSTP). The faculty comprises a multi-disciplinary vision sciences research community of basic and clinical scientists encompassing the Departments of, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medicine, Molecular Biology & Microbiology, , Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences (UH), Ophthalmology (CCLCM), Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, and Systems Biology & Bioinformatics. This group?s capabilities and productivity in the field of vision research has led to its support as a priority focus in strategic planning at Case Western Reserve University. The momentum associated with the recent expansion of the NEI Core grant-supported Visual Sciences Research Center and the awards of two R24 and U01 grants from the NEI have bolstered a critical mass of vision scientists with extramural support for their research. This atmosphere affords an ideal training opportunity for vision scientists. The Visual Sciences Research Center and collaborative research of its participating faculty provide an overall framework for the Visual Sciences Training Program. In addition, as vision research has expanded at CWRU, there has been a natural evolution of research/training groups that have distinct identities but also considerable overlap. This T32 Institutional Training Grant renewal application is organized according to four major vision science research themes: (a) Retinal Development and Function; (b) Retinal Disorders: Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD); (c) Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Immunology of Eye Diseases; and (d) Genetics, Physiology, and Epidemiology of Eye Diseases. These themes, involving groups of collaborating faculty, students and postdoctoral fellows, provide a natural way to organize the training program. In addition, there is a strong translational theme focused on therapeutic discovery that is an important aspect of all four research clusters. Continued support is requested for five pre-doctoral student positions and one post-doctoral position in all years. The rich research environment for vision science serves to attract trainees of the highest potential. Students receive training in Ph.D. program-specific, vision research theme-specific, and laboratory-based settings. Collectively, this approach ensures that our trainees are equipped with the broad interdisciplinary knowledge and technical skills needed to pursue biologically and clinically relevant research questions. The training program is supported by the resources of the faculty with vision science research expertise and their collaborators, by the Core Modules of the Visual Science Research Center, and by the broader resources of Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland, the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research and Cole Eye Institutes, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Research Center.